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Comment by ricardobeat | Hacker News Reader

Regardless if you’re going the limit or not, it’s illegal to cruise on the leftmost lane when you ‘re not overtaking.

They were rightly annoyed. It’s also a hefty fine if you’re caught doing this.

If you are traveling 80 in the left lane while the right lane is locked in at 60 (trucks who are limited to power speed limits), it is simply impossible to travel in the right lane. You are constantly overtaking vehicles, so it works out legally, but, yes, if someone wants to go 90, there is a conflict. Ideally, you wouldn’t cruise in the left lane because there would be room to cruise in the right lane, but higher traffic situations don’t really allow for it (well, not so high that you can’t go 80 in the left lane).

This usually happens when you are approaching a city and are going to get a new lane or two pretty soon anyways.

If there was room for someone to overtake on the right I don't think your scenario applies.

You shouldn't overtake on the right.

Exactly. It’s illegal here in Germany. I don’t know if it’s ok somewhere else.

It's not, and it's a bit worrying that it's not widespread knowledge.

Well, it sort of does. Imagine your doing 100 in the left lane, as does the car in front of you and the three cars in front of them. There’s a truck doing 80 in the middle lane some 500m away. All of you are going to pass it. Now a sixth car starts tailgating behind the last in line and because there’s left a big safety gap he’s overtaking on the right.

I was the last in line, going at the exact same speed as the cars in front of me, just leaving enough space. Why would I switch lanes?

Plus it was leading to an exit anyway…

I know that. But what am I supposed to do when the left lane leads to the exit I want to go to?

Also: there was someone in front of me going the same speed, I just left a big gap

This is often true, but it varies from state to state.

https://www.mit.edu/~jfc/right.html

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